Science Courses Research Articles

The effects of perceived relevance of participation in science-oriented out-of-school time activities on university students’ performance and persistence

ABSTRACT Literature has shown that Out-of-School-Time (OST) activities are important experiences for developing interest in science careers. However, while participation in science-oriented OST activities has become widespread in secondary education, their role on subsequent undergraduate career remains largely underexplored. In this longitudinal study, we explored how the perceived relevance of the participation in science-oriented OST-activities affects students’ early performance and later persistence in an undergraduate course. A sample of N = 565 Italian students from six science and technology majors (biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, computer science, mathematics, physics) who participated during high school in science-oriented OST programmes was involved in the study. The results show that the perceived relevance of OST activities positively affects both directly and indirectly, through motivation to persist, the students’ early performance at first year and later persistence at the third year. Moderation analysis shows that gender affects these relationships, and that the moderation effect depends on the chosen undergraduate major. Specifically, while for biology, biotechnology, biochemistry courses such relationship is statistically significant only for male students, for physics, maths and computer science courses, the effects are significant also for female students. Results support the relevance of OST activities in the choice and persistence in a science undergraduate course.

Educating the Next Generation of Ethical AI Practitioners

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly advancing, increasing concerns about data privacy harms in AI models. We discuss how ethical AI can be incorporated into computer science curricula. This paper describes the design process for the first ‘AI Privacy Engineering’ course, to the best of our knowledge, taught in the United States. The course is designed for both undergraduate and graduate students at Georgia Tech. Throughout this course, students examine ethical implications of AI system design, development, deployment, and utilization, using the ACM’s General Ethical Principles as an ethical framework. Recognizing that data privacy represents only one possible form of harm, the course blends theoretical and conceptual lectures with hands-on projects that require students to address ethical issues, including bias, fairness, and accountability in AI systems. Herein, we discuss the course design process, including selecting the appropriate body of knowledge, establishing learning objectives, creating assignments, and considering pedagogical methodologies we employed. We explain the empirical methods used to inform our design, including a systematic review of courses teaching AI development at over 40 universities. Our structured curriculum can be used to effectively teach ethical and safe AI, and we propose how these topics may be incorporated more broadly into computer science courses. Finally, we discuss early successes and the challenges faced while teaching the course, particularly in maintaining relevance despite fast-paced changes in the field of AI, an evolving legislative landscape, accessing computational systems to run AI models, and varying levels of student preparedness.

Teaching science, technology and society in blended learning large classes: a qualitative study of the Normale lecture model

Purpose This study aims to investigate teaching methodologies, best practices, and challenges encountered in delivering a science, technology, and society (STS) course using the Normale Lecture model at Y University. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative descriptive approach, data was collected through surveys distributed to 202 first-year students enrolled in an STS course. Ethical clearance was secured prior to data collection. Findings Effective strategies in large-class STS course included a combination of lectures, collaborative group activities, asynchronous assignments, and digital tools, such as Quizizz, to enhance engagement and provide structured, interactive learning experiences. Students perceive best practices, such as collaborative and interdisciplinary projects and active learning methods. Students face challenges such as limited interaction with instructors, fast-paced content delivery, technological issues, lack of hands-on activities, and increased stress and anxiety in large class settings. Practical implications Recommendations include reducing class size, enhancing interactive and practical activities, providing clear communication and feedback, and optimizing technology use to foster engagement and improve learning outcomes in large classes. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing body of research on large-class pedagogy in the Philippine higher education context, offering insights into adapting blended learning for diverse and large class sizes. This study focuses on a single institution and course, which limits its generalizability.

Social Learning and Gamification Strategies for Optimizing Online Learning in a Computer Science Course

This paper investigates the effectiveness of social and gamified learning strategies to assess their impact on computer science education, using a comparative analysis between the Moodle and Quizizz platforms. Gamified learning, with its interactive and competitive elements, is an ideal tool for fostering engagement and collaboration in social learning. The hypothesis of this study is that the integration of social and gamified elements can significantly improve student performance and motivation in computer science education. Group 1 took a traditional Moodle course without social interaction, Group 2 used Moodle with additional social interaction features, and Group 3 engaged with a gamified learning platform with integrated social interaction. Each group’s unique online learning environment aimed to provide nuanced insights with implications for educators, institutions and policymakers seeking to improve the effectiveness of computer science education in the digital landscape. The results of the study show a positive correlation between the implementation of gamification and increased student motivation, which ultimately translates into improved pass rates.

Lessons learned from implementing health systems science and community service course for fourth-year medical students

BackgroundWith the call to integrate health systems science (HSS) in medical education curriculum comes the need for more practical guidance from implementation experiences. In June 2020, the University of Texas Medical Branch John Sealy School of Medicine implemented a required course entitled “Health Systems Science and Community Service (HSS)” for fourth-year medical students. This quality improvement study describes the course and the lessons learned in the first four iterations.MethodsThe course was formatted as a 10-month-long, asynchronous course that ran concurrently with post-clerkship rotations. Throughout the four iterations, we used close- and open-ended questions to systematically collect students’ feedback twice annually. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data was performed, and general themes were drawn from qualitative items from the evaluations. In addition, the National Board of Medical Examiner (NBME) HSS Subject Examination was administered in the course during the third and fourth iterations; student performance was analyzed. The course contents were iteratively revised each year to incorporate more HSS and community service components.ResultsThe course cohorts 1 through 4 from each iteration had 234, 221, 220, and 217 students, respectively. The response rates for the end-of-year course evaluations were 91% for cohorts 1, 2, and 3, and 94% for cohort 4. Most students reported that the amount of material they were required to cover was reasonable across all four iterations. While most respondents from cohorts 1, 2, and 4 found the number of community service hours reasonable, the majority of respondents in cohort 3 indicated it was excessive. The common themes from students’ responses across cohorts included that some of the course content should have been taught in earlier years of their medical training, that community service activities are valuable but should have been optional, and that students appreciated the flexibility of the course. Student performance on the NBME exam was comparable to national performance. We summarized the iterative changes for each cohort based on feedback.ConclusionsWe described the implementation of a post-clerkship course on health systems science integrating with community service and service-learning. A major lesson learned was the need to take an iterative approach in building components like service-learning and addressing challenges, including student buy-in.

Philosophy And Technologi In The Digital Era

The advancement of digital technology has brought fundamental changes to various aspects of human life, ranging from ways of communication to how knowledge is produced and disseminated. A lecturer in the Philosophy of Science course addressed the technological revolution in the digital era. Students in the Early Childhood Christian Education program at IAKN Kupang utilized technology wisely through a seminar activity with the theme "Philosophy and Technology in the Digital Era."The advancement of digital technology has brought fundamental changes to various aspects of human life, ranging from ways of communication to how knowledge is produced and disseminated. A lecturer in the Philosophy of Science course addressed the technological revolution in the digital era. Students in the Early Childhood Christian Education program at IAKN Kupang utilized technology wisely through a seminar activity with the theme "Philosophy and Technology in the Digital Era."The implementation of the activity involved several stages: planning, execution, and evaluation. The final results of this activity showed both positive and negative impacts experienced by students in using technology, as well as how to reconcile thoughts with actions in the real world

Computational Thinking with Computer Vision: Developing AI Competency in an Introductory Computer Science Course

Developing competency in artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly crucial for computer science (CS) students at all levels of the CS curriculum. However, most previous research focuses on advanced CS courses, as traditional introductory courses provide limited opportunities to develop AI skills and knowledge. This paper introduces an introductory CS course where students learn computational thinking through computer vision, a sub-field of AI, as an application context. The course aims to achieve computational thinking outcomes alongside critical thinking outcomes that expose students to AI approaches and their societal implications. Through experiential activities such as individual projects and reading discussions, our course seeks to balance technical learning and critical thinking goals. Our evaluation, based on pre-and post-course surveys, shows an improved sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and AI ethics awareness among students. The results suggest that an AI-focused context can enhance participation and employability, student-selected projects support self-efficacy, and ethically grounded AI instruction can be effective for interdisciplinary audiences. Students' discussions on reading assignments demonstrated deep engagement with the complex challenges in today's AI landscape. Finally, we share insights on scaling such courses for larger cohorts and improving the learning experience for introductory CS students.

DECONSTRUCTING STUDENT NEEDS IN EAP FOR STEM: INSIGHTS FROM BALEAP 2023 SYMPOSIUM

The BALEAP STEM SIG 2023 Symposium on 'Deconstructing student needs in EAP for STEM' provided insights into the unique challenges and strategies for teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Key presentations included Natasha Rust's emphasis on integrating register, genre, and discourse analysis into EAP for science courses, Sanchia Rodrigues's exploration of mathematical proficiency and discourse in EAP for maths, and Aaron Woodcock and Lori-Ann Milln's strategies for creating sustainable English for Specific Academic Purposes (ESAP) curricula focusing on vocabulary, speaking, mediation skills, and reflection. Audience discussions highlighted the need for flexible teaching approaches to cater to diverse STEM student groups and the importance of embedding EAP within the broader academic framework. The symposium underscored the collaborative nature of developing effective EAP programs that address both language and subject-specific needs, ensuring the preparation of students for academic success in their respective STEM fields. This interactive infographic and symposium write-up aims to summarise the presentations and discussion at the symposium, to foster ongoing discussions and developments in EAP for STEM education.

A conductor of the idea of upbringing without coercion

The article presents the life path of Nikolai Mikhailovich Magomedov from entering the teaching profession to the head of the Department of Pedagogics and Psychology at Samara State University, the scientist, who tried to answer the question of the boundaries of human responsibility for oneself with his scientific works and personal teaching experience. The topic of free upbringing is the main one in his teaching fate, not only discussed in the teaching community, with students, but also tested by him in practice. It is argued that the assessment of scientific contribution to pedagogical science is impossible without memories of his calls to return to the original sources of pedagogical theories. Рresents the stages of organizational activity of the teacher N.M. Magomedov: the opening of a postgraduate course in pedagogical sciences, a dissertation council, and a psychology faculty

Comparing Artificial Intelligence Curricula in Canadian and US Universities

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has impacted the world tremendously in the last decade, causing an increased demand for accessible AI education globally. Students benefit from studying AI earlier in the curriculum; however, AI courses can require a range of prerequisites, which can be structured differently in various educational contexts. In this paper, we study the curriculum structure of AI, Machine Learning (ML), and Data Science (DS) courses in Canadian Universities and compare it with that of US Research-1 institutions. There are many similarities between AI, ML, and DS courses in Canada and the US. For example, DS courses tend to be more accessible earlier in the CS curriculum compared to AI and ML. However, there are key differences between the two countries, with Canadian AI, ML, and DS courses generally being a part of a longer prerequisites chain, and Canadian CS departments offering fewer DS courses. Still, both Canadian and US institutions find innovative ways to introduce AI earlier in the curriculum, including via interdisciplinary courses and specialized courses with few prerequisites. This study corroborates earlier work in recognizing diversity in curricular frameworks in North America and recommends curricular revisions and early academic advising to ensure access to AI courses.

Between the particular and the universal: the teaching of Brazilian Philosophy

This article aims to examine the teaching of Brazilian Philosophy at the Instituto Federal do Ceará (IFCE), Fortaleza campus, as well as the Humanities Olympiads of the State of Ceará (OCHE), from the perspective of communicative rationality proposed by Jürgen Habermas. The research environment was specifically my experience as a teacher in the Telecommunications, Computer Science and Chemistry courses at IFCE, in Fortaleza. The choice of this theme is supported by the need for a more contextualized and situated approach to the teaching of Brazilian Philosophy, especially in the context of high school. Historically, the teaching of philosophy in Brazil has been characterized by a perspective centered on Eurocentric models, which disregard the cultural, historical and social particularities of the country. The main question to be discussed in this study is how the teaching of Brazilian Philosophy, combined with the pedagogical practices of the OCHE and in the light of Habermasian communicative reason, can help in the construction of knowledge that is at the same time local and global, theoretical and practical, critical and transformative. The investigation of pedagogical practices in OCHE and the application of communicative reason reveal how Brazilian philosophy can be used to favor an educational process that transcends the mere transfer of content, involving students in an active effort of reflection and transformation.

Educational journey from nursing to medical school: a medical practitioner’s vantage point

The transitions along the nursing-medical education continuum have stimulated the interest of many nurses and nursing students nowadays, notwithstanding the challenges. This study aimed to explore the medical practitioners' educational experiences as they journey from nursing to medical school and highlight the salient features of nursing education as for pursuing a degree in medicine. The data was collected using a phenomenological approach, utilizing semi-structured in-depth interviews. The study included twelve medical practitioners aging from 29 to 36 years old. All participants were licensed nurses and doctors, with six having worked before attending medical school and six did not. Through thematic analysis, four primary themes emerged in this study: The distinction between nursing and medical school journey; the hallmark of nursing as pre-medical course; compassionate agent of healing; and the practical lessons learned. The study findings revealed that nursing and medicine are two divergent paths, with medical school being more challenging. Nursing education helped medical practitioners succeed in medical school due to the firsthand and extensive clinical experience, the existence of fundamental science subjects offered as an academic head start, the therapeutic patient interaction, and the professional virtues learned. Nursing education influenced medical practitioners to become compassionate agents of healing as they blend care and cure in their medical practice and build better interpersonal dynamics with nurses and other healthcare team members. The practical lesson participants learned and wanted to convey to those who desire to advance in their career from nursing to medicine is to strengthen the suggested basic science courses, build on the recommended values and behaviors and take nursing as a pre-medical course seriously. The researcher developed a nursing-medical education continuum model that will guide nursing students in their journey when they choose to become the compassionate agent of healing-medical practitioners.

Analisis Pengaruh Penggunaan Bahasa Campuran (Code-Mixing) dalam Pembelajaran IPA terhadap Kemampuan Menulis Teks Akademik Mahasiswa Pendidikan IPA Bilingual 2024

This study aims to analyze the effect of the use of mixed language (code-mixing) in Natural Sciences (IPA) learning on the ability to write academic texts of Bilingual Science Education students in 2024 in Medan State University. This study uses a quantitative method by distributing questionnaires to respondents. The research sample consisted of Bilingual Science Education students who took science courses. The results showed that the majority of respondents (around 54%) were neutral about the influence of the use of code-mixing in science learning on their ability to write academic texts. This indicates that the use of mixed languages does not have a significant impact, either positive or negative, on students' ability to write academic texts in the context of bilingual science learning. The implication of this study is the need for further research to explore other factors that may affect the academic text writing ability of bilingual students, as well as to identify alternative learning strategies that are more effective in improving students' academic text writing skills in the context of bilingual education.

Enhancing pre-service teachers’ science teaching efficacy beliefs and attitudes toward science using the flipped classroom model

IntroductionScience teacher education programs play a crucial role in shaping future educators. Pre-service Teachers’ (PSTs) attitudes toward science and their self-efficacy beliefs are pivotal in determining the extent to which they engage with and benefit from their academic training. The Flipped Classroom Model (FCM) offers a technology-enhanced, student-centered approach with the potential to enhance PSTs’ self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes.MethodsThis study explores the effect of an FCM approach in a general science course on the PSTs science teaching self-efficacy beliefs and attitudes toward science. The study used a mixed methods approach with 39 PSTs. The quantitative dimension adopted a semi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group, and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews.ResultsResults suggest that the FCM had a significant effect on PSTs’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs, particularly in the personal science teaching efficacy, and on their attitudes toward science, particularly in their perceptions of the science teacher. The themes of supportive environment and hands-on activities emerged from the qualitative analysis.DiscussionThe implementation features of the FCM, combined with teacher support, appeared to foster a more productive classroom environment that had mobilized multiple sources of self-efficacy. This environment stimulated PSTs’ interest in science and increased their confidence, thereby cultivating a greater sense of investment in their science learning. Incorporating the FCM into teacher education programs offers significant advantages in PSTs’ academic training.

Learning in a Database Course: The Same Regardless of Gender?

Despite male and female students' equal performance in computer science courses that are gender-balanced in their design, gender differences can still appear in satisfaction, engagement and in academic help-seeking. Therefore, this paper aims to detect gender differences in behavioural engagement, academic help-seeking, satisfaction and attitudes in an introductory database course. The course is one of the introductory courses at the Institute of Computer Science of the University of Tartu, providing an overview of the theory of relational databases and SQL query language. A total of 239 students of 336 who participated in this course in 2024 filled in the questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three main parts: satisfaction and attitudes, behavioural engagement with the course, and getting academic help. Among these respondents, 104 were female, 131 were male, and four students did not want to specify their gender. The Mann-Whitney U-test and the chi-square test were used with SPSS. The results indicate no statistically significant gender differences in satisfaction with the course and the attitudes toward databases. However, differences were observed in behavioural engagement with the course and in the use of academic help. As the differences emerged in these two areas, the results of the study might be helpful for course designers to provide different tools, which correspond to both male and female students’ needs.

Oral and maxillofacial sciences: an integrated syllabus to deliver professional competence

As Peter Thomson returns to Australia to begin his second term as head of dentistry, and professor of oral and maxillofacial sciences at James Cook University, he reflects on the genesis, organisation and delivery of an integrated, didactic course in oral and maxillofacial sciences. Comprising previously taught ‘stand-alone’ subjects such as oral pathology, oral medicine, oral and maxillofacial surgery, medicine and surgery, and dental pharmacology and therapeutics, and firmly based on a student-centred comprehensive dental care model, the integrated course focuses on programme clarity, structure, and the acquisition and assessment of clinically applied knowledge and skills. The efficacy of the oral and maxillofacial sciences programme in delivering the professional competences expected of a newly graduated practitioner by the Australian Dental Council is thus explored.

A Systematic Literature Review of Undergraduate Data Science Education Research

The presence of data science has been profound in the scientific community in almost every discipline. An important part of the data science education expansion has been at the undergraduate level. We conducted a systematic literature review to (1) portray current evidence and knowledge gaps in self-proclaimed undergraduate data science education research and (2) inform policymakers and the data science education community about what educators may encounter when searching for literature using the general keyword ‘data science education.’ While open-access publications that target a broader audience of data science educators and include multiple examples of data science programs and courses are a strength, substantial knowledge gaps remain. The undergraduate data science literature that we identified often lacks empirical data, research questions and reproducibility. Certain disciplines are less visible. We recommend that we should (1) cherish data science as an interdisciplinary field; (2) adopt a consistent set of keywords/terminology to ensure data science education literature is easily identifiable; (3) prioritize investments in empirical studies.

Examination of the Effects of STEM Activities in Physics Subjects on Students’ Attitudes and Problem-Solving Skills

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of STEM activities on students’ attitudes towards STEM and problem-solving skills by taking their components into account. An experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was applied in the study. Quantitative and qualitative data collection tools were used. The participants of the study consisted of students studying in two different branches in the 7th grade of a public school. The implementation of the research was carried out for five weeks within the scope of force, work and energy concepts. In the experimental group, STEM activities developed by taking the science curriculum into account were included in the lessons. In the control group, lessons were taught according to the curriculum. The conclusions drawn based on the results of this study can be listed as follows: First, STEM education, which is carried out within the scope of physics subjects in the science course and which also includes mathematics, engineering and technology related acquisitions, ensures that students’ attitudes towards STEM develop positively. STEM attitudes progress especially in the direction of establishing a relationship between mathematics, science and engineering learning and STEM. Second, STEM education improves students’ problem-solving skills. The increase occurs in all areas of problem-solving skills, including the individual’s confidence in problem-solving skills, willingness to cope with difficult problems encountered, and the feeling that they have mastered the situation. Last, when there is no STEM-oriented activity in the science curriculum, students’ problem-solving skills, especially in the area of confidence, decrease. Considering that STEM is an interdisciplinary subject combining two or more disciplines and is based on authentic contexts; STEM activities provide students for establishing relationships between STEM disciplines and developing problem-solving strategies.

Rethinking Computing Students’ Help Resource Utilization through Sequentiality

Background . Academic help-seeking benefits students’ achievement, but existing literature either studies important factors in students’ selection of all help resources via self-reported surveys or studies their help-seeking behavior in one or two separate help resources via actual help-seeking records. Little is known about whether computing students’ approaches and behavior match, and not much is understood about how they transition sequentially from one help resource to another. Objectives . We aim to study post-secondary computing students’ academic help-seeking approach and behavior. Specifically, we seek to investigate students’ self-reported orders of resource usage and whether these approaches match with students’ actual utilization of help resources. We also examine frequent patterns emerging from students’ chronological help-seeking records in course-affiliated help resources. Context and Study Method . We surveyed students’ self-reported orders of resource usage across 12 offerings of seven courses at two institutions, then analyzed their responses using various help resource dimensions identified by existing works. From two of these courses (an introduction to programming course and a data science course, 11 offerings), we obtained students’ help-seeking records in all course-affiliated help resources, along with code autograder records. We then compared students’ reported orders in these two courses against their actions in the records. Finally, we mined sequences of student help-seeking events from these two courses to reveal frequent sequential patterns. Findings . Students’ reported orders of help resource usage form a progression of clusters where resources in each cluster are more similar to each other by help resource dimensions than to resources outside of their cluster. This progression partially confirms phenomena and decision factors reported by existing literature, but no factor/dimension alone can explain the entire progression. We found students’ actual help-seeking records did not deviate much from their self-reported orders. Mining of the sequential records revealed that help-seeking from course-affiliated human resources led to measurable progress more often than not, and students’ usage of consulting/office hours (mainly run by undergraduate teaching assistants) itself was the best indicator for future usage within the lifespan of the same assignment. Implications . Our results demonstrate that computing students’ help resource selection/utilization is a sophisticated process that should be modeled and analyzed with sufficient awareness of its inherent sequentiality. We identify future research directions through this preliminary analysis, which can lead to a better understanding of computing students’ help-seeking behavior and better resource utilization/management in large-scale instructional contexts.

University Students’ Ecological Footprint and Lifestyle Changes: Awareness vs. Action

A land-grant university in the Southeastern U.S. has integrated sustainability into an environmental science course (ES100, Introduction to Environmental Science). Two assignments—calculating ecological footprints (EF) and designing a Lifestyle Change Project (LCP)—ask students to consider their environmental impact (EF) and make a lifestyle change to reduce their ecological footprints (LCP). However, these two aspects have been evaluated separately, and assessing their connectivity is less explored. Here, we utilized data from the course to (1) assess the size of students’ EFs; (2) identify Lifestyle Change Projects; and (3) evaluate the relationship between EF and their lifestyle changes. Results showed that the average EF was 7.3 global hectares (gha), which is three times higher than the global average of 2.6 gha. Students performed lifestyle changes focusing on shelter (26%), food (15%), mobility (13%), and goods (46%). Generally, students planned to focus their LCP on their highest calculated category for their EF (R2 = 0.88, p < 0.05). Surprisingly, this alignment shifted once students put their LCPs into practice (R2 = 0.44, p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that attitudes toward EF results do not always translate into actual behavioral changes in students’ lifestyles. Our study highlighted the effectiveness of the EF calculator as a tool for potentially influencing students’ lifestyle behavior in reducing their ecological footprints, thus enhancing their ecological literacy.